Free The Biker's Heart by Meg Jackson Page A

face. It was no use. She was going to do it anyway. And, really, she could.
    Alicia had managed to surprise everyone – except, possibly, Becky and I – by being really, really, really good at college. She had never been studious in high school, but in the three years since then she’d shown herself to be the smartest girl in the room time after time. After an unsuccessful semester at the Missoula University of Technology, she’d transferred to the University of Montana and proceeded to blow Becky and I out of the water, grade-wise.
    “ Don’t tell me what to do, you bitch! I’m coming, and don’t try to talk it out of me. Mimosas with my girls beats Russian Lit any day, baby,” she said on the other end of the phone. I turned to Becky, rolling my eyes.
    We were sitting on the balcony of our apartment; we’d rented one together after freshman year. The three of us lived together in relative peace: some people said living with a best friend was a sure way to lose a best friend, but it had really only made us closer. Just then, I was talking to Alicia after her first class of the day. Becky and I both had the day off and were going to brunch. And now, it seemed, Alicia would be coming, too.
    “ Alright, alright, I know better than to try and get you to be responsible. Come to Bertrand’s at 1,” I said before hanging up.
    “ She’s skipping again?” Becky asked with a chuckle.
    “ I guess so. She’ll still get an A, I bet,” I said. Becky and I hadn’t done so poorly for ourselves at college, either. I was in my last year, graduating early. The benefit of knowing exactly what I wanted to do the moment I started classes was that I didn’t waste any time taking random classes, like Becky had. I was going to graduate in May with a degree in archeology. Becky was probably going to graduate never with a degree in nothing.
    That’s an exaggeration; but, much like Alicia had surprised everyone by being a college star, Becky had surprised everyone by revealing her flighty side. At that time, she was majoring in biology, but before that she’d majored in computer science, sociology, philosophy, and math. She’d done well in all of it, but she just couldn’t seem to find what she really wanted to do. It was okay, though; we were 21, and had all the time in the world.
    There was a thumping from inside, then the sound of footsteps. Looking back, I smiled as Boon ambled out onto the balcony. I reached out, stroking his bare chest, still unable to get over what a perfect specimen of manliness he was.
    “ Hey, sailor, sleep okay?”
    He yawned and grinned down at me.
    “ Perfect,” he said. “How could I not, after last night?”
    “ Ugh, please, let’s not, guys. I had to listen to you last night, I don’t want to hear a play-by-play the morning after,” Becky said, feigning disgust. We all laughed. It was a subject of some contention in the apartment: whenever Boon stayed over, no one seemed to get much sleep. I preferred staying at his place, where he didn’t have any roommates and thicker walls, for just that reason.
    “ Come to brunch, baby?” I asked, looking back up at Boon. He shook his head.
    “ I got that thing down in Hamilton, remember?”
    “ Oh, the little girl with the uncle? God, it makes me sick. I don’t know how you deal with that all the time…”
    “ It’s better than what I used to deal with,” Boon said. “And this time at least I’m the good guy.”
    “ You sure are,” I said, grabbing his arm and dragging him down for a kiss.
    “ Dinner, though?” Boon asked, breaking away. I nodded. “I’m gonna shower and jet, okay?”
    “ Good luck today,” I called after him as he disappeared into the apartment.
    “ What’s in Hamilton?” Becky asked.
    “ This little girl was living with her shithead uncle and he was beating her. She’s in court today so the club is going to sit in the audience or whatever for her,” I said.
    Yeah, Boon is still in a club. A new one, one he